Decorative cornice



April 22, 1941. F. SLADKUS DECQRATIVE CORNICE Filed Feb. 1, 1939 FRED SLADKUS INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DECORATIVE CORNICE.

Fred Sladkus, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Joseph Weiss, Kings County, N. Y.

Application February 1, 1939, Serial No. 253,967

2 Claims.

This invention relates to ready-made foldable box-like cornices for windows for increasing the ornamental effect produced by curtains, draperies or Venetian blinds.

An object of this invention is to provide a boxlike cornice comprising two end members which may be folded flat for shipment and which may be erected so as to bring the end portions of said end members in right-angular relation with the front face of the cornice.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box-like cornice adapted to be mounted on a curtain rod and having a soft fabric facing and a stiffening member adapted for weighing down and imparting a plane form to said soft fabric to produce a smooth and refined appearing front face while having rigidity and a box-like form, the upper edge of said stiffening member being spaced below said curtain rod. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a three panel box-like cornice, each panel having a flexible and non-stiffened upper edge portion, the said upper edge portions being foldable for mounting over a curtain rod and being given an elongated linear form by said rod.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box-like cornice made up of a plurality of separable members, each of said members having means for detachably securing the cornice members to the curtain rod.

In my prior patent application for decorative cornice, Serial No. 240,117, filed Nov. 12, 1938 I have disclosed a cornice having a soft fabric front facing in combination with a rear or backing member of rigid material to impart a plane or flat form to said front facing. The front and rear members were. integrally'connected and it was practically impossible to Wash the cornice.

Inasmuch as the average housewife washes such housefurnishings about once every month it is highly desirable to provide means whereby my decorative cornices may be washed or dry cleaned.

In my present disclosures I have provided an embodiment wherein I have separated the front facing from the rear stiffening member and wherein the said rear stiffening member may be removed at will.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

R ference will .now be had to the d aw ng,

wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a foldable boxlike cornice constructed in accordance with this invention and mounted on a curtain rod having right-angularly disposed side members.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the cornice.

Figure 3 is a rear view of an end member, made of a single layer of fabric and having snap fasteners secured to a tape.

Figure 4 is a view of a reinforcing member having complementary snap fasteners for detachably securing to the end member shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a rear plan view of the center member adapted for mounting in slidable relation centrally of the cornice.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the numeral I0 indicates a foldable boxlike cornice which comprises two end members II and a decorative cover member l2 of substantially semi-circular form. Each of the members II, II and I2 has front and rear section's made of soft and pliable fabric which are preferably finished along their bottom and side edges by a binding and stitching.

As shown in Figure 3, the binding l3 and the stitching [4 on the end member ll extends throughout the entire length of the outer boundary of the soft fabric facing l5.

As shown in Figure 4, I have provided a substantially rigid reinforcing member l9, preferably made of sized fabric, which functions to impart a plane or fiat form to the soft fabric front section I I.

The reinforcingmember l9 preferably comprises a front section 20' and a side section 2|. The side section 2| and front section 20 are secured together by stitching a binding 22 around the entire outer boundary of the reinforcing member l9.

The side section 2| of the member l9 has been improved with a binding strip 23 along one vertical edge. The front section 20 of the member l9 has been improved with a binding 24 along one vertical edge.

A narrow opening 25 appears between the adjoining edges 26 and 21 of the reinforcing member IS. The opening 25 makes it possible to erect the side section 2| in right-angular relation with its coacting front section 20.

The sections 20 and 2| remain integrally connected in all positions of relative adjustment;

The bounda y e g s of the soft fabric facin l appearing as a single layer at the upper elevation of Figure 3, is preferably bound by the binding 13 and the binding serves to secure a gusset 30 at one corner.

I have provided complementary fastener members 3| and 32, preferably of the ball and socket snap fastener type for securing the cornice to a curtain rod. The snap fastener member 3| is secured to the soft fabric of the cornice. The snap fastener member 32 is secured to the single layer upper extension of the soft and pliable fabric facing [5.

The right-angularly erectable cornice H3 may be mounted on a curtain rod 33 having rightangularly disposed side member, as shown in Figure 1, and cover the entire surface of the said curtain rod.

When the cornice Iii is mounted on the curtain rod 33, the soft and pliable upper portion single layer facing material I5 is folded over the cur tain rod and the folded upper part is secured to the lower part of the cornice by bringing the snap fastener members 3| and 32 into interlocking engagement. In this service position, the right-angular curtain rod extension 34 imparts a right-angular form to the cornice.

Figure 3 shows a rear view of an end member II. It will be seen that snap fastener members 5i, 52 are secured to a tape 53 extending the entire length of the bottom edge of the member I l and extend upwardly.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a rigid reinforcing member I9 having complementary snap fastener members 54, 55, for detachably securing to the snap fastener members 5|, 52, of the end member shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 2, I have provided a decorative cover member I2 of substantially semicircular form and having a rigid backing which is designed to impart a plane form to the soft fabric facing. In cornice making relation, best shown in Figure 2, the cover member I2 is mounted in superposed relation over the two side members H, II, centrally of the cornice.

Figure 5 shows a rear view of the center member l2 and shows an elongated strap 56 secured to the upper edge and extending substantially to the bottom of the said member. A snap fastener member 51 is secured to the lower portion of the soft section 58. A complementary snap fastener member 59 is secured to the lower end of the strap 56. It is to be noted that the elongated strap 56 has sufficient length so that when the complementary snap fastener members 51 and 59 are in interlocking engagement the cornice end members will be adapted for slidable relation with the center member, that is, the end members may slide between the strap 55 and the body of the member 55.

It is to be noted that under operating conditions, a curtain rod 6! is mounted on the upper portion of the window and. rearwards of the curtain rod 33 for supporting a curtain (not shown) The cornice herein disclosed is particularly adapted for materials requiring washing or dry cleaning such as silk, rayon, cotton, etc. It is to be noted that when using leatherette or processed water-repellent fabric that the element of washing does not appear.

The stiffening member l9 may be made of sized fabric, sheet metal, or thin fiber. It is to be noted that the soft facings and stiffening members are separable members having means for securing said members in operative engagement to permit separation for purpose of cleaning or washing or interchanging different colored front and rear members.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described and illustrated what I presently consider the preferred embodiments of my longitudinally adjustable cornice making forms, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit-of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a washable box-like cornice for curtains or drapes, a plurality of front section forms of soft and washable fabric, a plurality of rear sections of rigid and non-washable fabric removably secured together, said front sections being bound all around the edges thereof, said rigid rear sections being made of sized fabric and being adapted for weighting down and imparting a plane surface to each of said soft fabric forms, each of said rigid reinforcing members having a binding stitched thereto all around its edge portions for concealing the edges of said sized sections and providing a finished edging, said front sections and said rear'reinforcing sections having complementary'snap fastener members secured to the bound edge portions thereof for securing said sections in unitary relation.

2. In a washable box-like cornice for curtains or drapes, a plurality of front section forms of soft and Washable fabric, a plurality of rear sections of rigid and non-washable fabric'removably secured together, said front sections being bound around the edges thereof, said rigid rear sections being made of fabric adapted for Weighting down and imparting a plane surface to each of said soft fabric forms, each of said rigid reinforcing members having a binding stitched thereto around its edge portions for concealing the edges of said sections and providing a finished edging, ,said front sections and said rear reinforcing sections having complementary snap fastener members secured to the bound edge portions thereof for securing said sections in unitary relation.

FRED SLADKUS. 

